Kitchens are powerful tools that can add or detract from a home’s potential. They are the heart of the home to the living room’s hearth. As everyone knows, the stomach is the way to win favor with anyone—even potential buyers. Just think about how much time is spent in a kitchen. Three meals a day. Every day. Every year. Holidays center around the food produced there, and midnight snacks are only held within the glow of the fridge.

So how do sellers maximize the BANG of the kitchen?

Look at other’s in your area: What is selling at what price in your neighborhood. What features do those areas have? If you spend time and money on a huge remodel, the appraisal may not rise significantly depending on what has sold around you. This is an extremely importance piece of the equation.

Know what your house is worth: High end finishes are expected in home houses, but not all. Highly functional kitchen space is desired more than features and if your kitchen maintains a certain class about it, then the hardwood or granite can be substituted by concrete counters, tile, pergo, ect. Know where you and your listing are in terms of what is expected and go from there.

Keep in clean/fresh/and realistic: In the end, a kitchen can sell a house, but this means a well-kept kitchen has that potential too.